


Down Time

by Foreversfangirl



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Gen, Relax - Freeform, alone time, down time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2017-02-17
Packaged: 2018-09-25 04:12:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9802115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foreversfangirl/pseuds/Foreversfangirl
Summary: Even though the team practically lives together, there are times when they get to spend some down time doing things they enjoy





	

When not chasing down the criminally insane, the members of the BAU do enjoy spending time doing other things. Some things they share with the group, and some they don't. 

Going out for a drink, having a girls/guys night respectively, or celebrating a birthday is one thing. Those are group activities. But when they each close that door, and leave work behind they each have something that makes them happy. 

It has been established that Penelope is a stage actress, and it is a safe haven for her, but it's something the team knows about. What they don't know, is that she cooks. She cooks full course meals, and boxes them in to go containers. She drops them off at battered women's shelters, and half way houses for homeless children. And sometimes she just goes to the places she knows homeless people frequent. It reminds her of her roots. Makes her feel like she makes a difference. It's something she wishes someone had done for her in her time of need. 

Derek has told his colleagues that he owns property to destroy and rebuild. His friends know he likes to dance in clubs, and work out to keep his physique. But they don't know he plays the piano and guitar. Not well mind you, but well enough to play songs by ear. He knows he's not any good, and has no real interest in striving to be better. It's just something to do, when they destruction of property is done but it is not yet time to rebuild. 

JJ stopped collecting butterflies a long time ago. And she's no longer a star soccer player. She still likes to play darts in the bars with her friends, and can stand to play poker with the help of a little liquor. But what she really likes to do is take care of her garden. We when she was in college, she had a bunch of little potted plants on her window sill. Now that she's married, and has a house with a little garden out in the backyard, she can afford to plant more interesting things. Azaleas in the front. Morning glories, carnations, and tulips in the back. JJ is especially proud of her two lemon trees. 

Spencer is often teased by his friends, that he spends all of his time with his nose in a book or working on yet another dissertation. Sometimes those things are true, but not always. Despite their expertise and excellence in profiling, Spencer's colleagues have no idea he has been in a committed relationship for a few years. She is a concert cellist and pianist. She travels the world performing in prestigious venues, but loves nothing more than coming home to DC to spend time with her love. When they have free time together, they are artists. Taking turns modeling for each other's paintings, and photography. He takes more to abstract and surrealism, and she to realistic and metaphoric realism. Eventually his friends will find out, it's not like he's going out of his way to find out. 

Emily is no artist or musician as her friends so secretly are. When she has the chance to unwind and do something completely unrelated to work. She loves nothing more than chilling in her lazy pants and a sports bra and playing video games. A night spent kicking some 14 year old kids ass on worldwide multiplayer, is a night well spent. 

When Rossi was a younger man he could spend every waking moment with a lady companion. With age he has changed his habits. He now enjoys hiking, fishing, duck hunting, and just generally enjoying nature without the company of other people. Working for the BAU, can make one loose all hope for humanity, spending time away from the negative influences is the best way for him to relax, and see that there can be good again. 

Hotch is another matter all together. When he's working, he's unit chief. He's the man in charge. When he's home, he's a father. Spending time with Jack is important to him, and he doesn't want to miss a minute of him growing up. But on very very rare occasions Hotch leaves Jack with his aunt Jessica. On those nights, he drives out of the city, and parks in an empty field. No light pollution, no noise, no company. Just the night sky, and his thoughts. The fresh air is good for him. The quiet helps him sort the tangled mess his mind becomes. And the stars bring him as close as he can to Haley. 

Under the cover or darkness, or just beneath the gaze of their peers, they all have something. Something special, something secret, something they would rather not share with anyone else. It's makes them happy, it makes them sane, it helps keep the balance.


End file.
